


tangled in the bones of this love

by swearwollf



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Drabble, Gavin Reed has TMJ, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-29
Updated: 2019-08-29
Packaged: 2020-09-28 23:49:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 539
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20434535
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/swearwollf/pseuds/swearwollf
Summary: Gavin has a headache.  Nines won't let him get away with suffering alone.





	tangled in the bones of this love

**Author's Note:**

> this was written at work as i suffered a massive headache caused by my tmj. huge shout out to tc and sasha, to whom i threw this at at full force this afternoon and were gracious enough to give me feedback. not beta'd.
> 
> title is from flaws by vancouver sleep clinic

It’s been a long day and Gavin’s head Fucking Hurts. Dull black pain radiates from his jaw and into his skull, down his neck and shoulder, consuming any ability to focus. The light from his monitor isn’t helping, the little black letters of his report swimming in an ocean of eye-stabbing white.

“I need coffee,” Gavin tells his partner. He can hear the words slithering away from him, jaw not quite aligned enough to form them properly. He stands with his mug before Nines can comment and makes his way to the break room, feeling eyes on his back the whole way

The pot is still half full but someone has turned the warmer off. Gavin fills his mug then puts it in the microwave for a few minutes until the liquid inside is sullenly hot once again. He doesn’t even bother doctoring it with sugar and cream before he takes a sip and scalds his tongue.

The coffee is comfortingly bitter and disgusting. With a sigh, Gavin leans his weight against the counter, eyes shut and hot mug of shitty coffee pressed against his jaw. The warmth and the smell of the coffee provide some comfort while the pain knifes its way through his head, down his neck and into his shoulder.

“Caffeine will only aggravate your condition, detective.” Nines’ delivery is barren of emotion as usual but Gavin has known him long enough to read his concern. In answer, Gavin takes a sip of his wretched coffee and salutes his partner with his middle finger.

After a beat, Nines drops his flat affectation to roll his eyes demonstrably. Gavin laughs, then winces and tries to smooth his expression into something less painful.

“Let me see,” says Nines, reaching for Gavin’s face. 

Gavin snarls petulantly, but that hurts too. He tries to bat Nines’ hands away, feeling like a cranky toddler who’s being coddled, but Nines’ hands are persistent and before he knows it they’re cupping his jaw. 

They’re warm, almost hot. The heat sinks into the joint with slow and sweet release, like laying down in bed after a long day. Gavin groans and leans into those hands, into Nines, his own hands going lax around Nines’ wrists before falling to his sides. Nines presses his fingertips firmly where it hurts most, right where Gavin’s jaw hinges, and rubs small circles into the muscle there.

Gavin wants to fight it because he always wants to fight everything. He feels himself tensing all over, ready to wrench himself away, but Nines’ hand is sliding into his hair, petting the back of his neck. Nines is pulling him, inevitable as gravity, into his shoulder, one hand on the back of head holding him in place as the other slides up between his shoulder blades to rub his spine. 

There’s no fighting this. Gavin sinks into Nines hard, arms rising to wrap around Nines’ waist to return the embrace, burying his face in Nines’ shirt. Nines doesn’t smell like a person, there’s no scent of sweat or skin, but he does smell like fabric softener and the lavender he keeps in his dresser. He smells soft and familiar.

Breathing Nines in, Gavin thinks he can make it through the day.


End file.
